


Stay With Me

by All_The_Legends_Are_True



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Angst, Hurt Alec Lightwood, Hurt Magnus Bane, Injured Alec Lightwood, M/M, Major Character Injury, Post 3x10, Post-Canon, Sorry Not Sorry, Worried Magnus Bane
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:47:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26307283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/All_The_Legends_Are_True/pseuds/All_The_Legends_Are_True
Summary: After being seriously injured by the owl, Magnus is desperate to find help for Alec before it’s too late.
Relationships: Magnus Bane & Alec Lightwood, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 6
Kudos: 66





	Stay With Me

**Author's Note:**

> I created this fic to fill the gap between 3x10 and 3x11, as it’s always bothered me that Alec’s injuries were never brought up again, and so we never found out how he was healed.

Jace stood up and sprinted off to go check on Clary, leaving the two alone again. Magnus glanced down at his lovers face with extreme worry. The colour in his face had drained, leaving him much more pale than usual. His breaths were shallow and he could barely keep his eyes open. The adrenaline of what had just happened was keeping him too riled up to break down, but it was starting to set in with just how devastating this could end up.

Alec grunted slightly and all Magnus can do was hush him soothingly. He felt so powerless in that moment, not able to heal him with his magic. Not able to create a portal to get him to immediate safety. Not able to at least conjure up some form of painkillers for him to relax.

Before he can even think of getting Alec out of there, a loud explosion distracts him, and his ears start ringing. Ash and debris fell all around them, narrowly missing Alec, and so he decided to not waste any more time. He scooped Alec up into his arms and ran as fast as he could. 

As expected, Alec yelled out in pain from being moved, but Magnus had no time to stop and check on him, he needed to get him away from the blast radius. Tears were starting to stream down his face. Time was running out and he couldn’t bare to think of what would happen if he didn’t make it to safety in time. He crossed the street in a frenzy, and was running too fast to notice two figures turning the corner. The larger figure grabbed Magnus’ shoulder, slowing him to a stop. 

He looked over his shoulder to see Luke and Maryse’s faces staring at him. It took a moment for Maryse to register what was happening before she too, was panicking over her son’s state.

“Oh my god, Magnus what happened?!” She asked in horror.

“I don’t have time to explain, he needs help,  now .” 

Luke and Maryse shared a glance. “Can’t you heal him?” Luke asked quickly.

“My magic is gone, again I don’t have time to explain, he’s running out of time.”

“Can you not call Catarina?” Maryse asked hurriedly.

“No, I left my phone at my apartment before I went to Edom.” Luke and Maryse’s eyes widened and Magnus gave them a stare that clearly stated ‘ _not the time_ ’ without actually saying it.

They dismissed the questions they were ready to answer and Luke got his phone out. “You know her number?”

Magnus nodded and quickly told him her number whilst he typed it out. 

“ _Hello_?”

“Hey Catarina, This is Luke Garroway, I’m a friend of Magnus and Alec’s. Alec is in a bad way and Magnus really needs your help. Can you track the call and portal to us as fast as you can?”

“ _I can’t portal over there as I have Madzie with me, but I can create a portal for you guys to come to me. How bad is it?_ ”

Luke looked at Alec’s appearance. His breathing was still shallow and he was in and out of consciousness. “Let’s just say I hope you’re in top form for healing today.”

“ _I’m making the portal now_.”

Seconds later, a series of sparks formed next to them and a portal opened up. Magnus wasted no time in running through it, causing him and Alec to arrive in Catarina’s home, closely followed by Maryse.

Magnus laid Alec down on the sofa, and began pacing around the room out of worry. Cat came out of her office, arms full of supplies that she needed. She set them all down on the coffee table and with a wave of her hands, they were completely set up, and she was ready to start work.

“How did this happen?” She asked.

“He confronted Jace in his owl form, and judging by his state, he misjudged a greater demons power, even if it’s through someone else.” Magnus replied, speaking almost too quickly for Cat to catch it all.

“Magnus I need you to calm down, Alec needs you.” Cat scolded the frantic warlock. He stopped pacing and looked at her. His mascara was running now, the adrenaline had completely gone and all that was left was terror and panic. 

“You’ve got to save him, Cat. I can’t survive without him.” He pleads.

Cat gives him a sad smile and turns back to Alec. “I need to cut his shirt off in order to get to the arrow.”

“Can you not use your magic to heal him?” Maryse asks, clearly concerned about her son’s health.

“I can heal him with magic, but the arrow needs to be gone first, and the safest way to do that is to remove the arrow in a mundane way. With the clothes out of the way, the arrow will have less obstructions when coming out, plus I’ll have a clearer view.”

Magnus had already left the room and returned with scissors by the time Cat finished speaking. She took the scissors and immediately cut Alec’s shirt off, being as careful as possible. 

“M-gnus” Alec croaked out quietly, coming round for the millionth time. He weakly raised his hand towards him, and Magnus immediately took it and held it tight.

“Hey, I’m right here, Alexander. Just stay with me” he whispered to him. He pressed his lips to their clasped hands and Alec smiled at him as best as he could.

“I’ll... be okay.” Alec replied, his voice barely above a whisper. And with that, he fell out of consciousness once again.

Magnus closed his eyes, and another tear fell. Maryse was close behind him, a hand on his shoulder in comfort. As his mother, she was hurting just as much as him, maybe even more, but being his mother also meant that she knew just how much of a fighter Alec was, and that made her have hope. With that belief, she felt strong enough to be there for Magnus, who had only been through something like this with him once, and he barely pulled through that time.

Cat turned to look at Magnus and Maryse. “Okay, the area is sterilised, now we need to remove the arrow. He’s lucky, it narrowly missed his heart, but only by millimetres. The reason he’s in such a bad state is because of the blood loss, but that’s an easy fix, I just need you guys to help me get the arrow out without touching any major arteries. You both need to hold him upright, as still as possible, and I’ll remove it with one swift motion. Once it’s out, I’ll immediately put my magic into the wound, and prevent him from bleeding out whilst mending his wound. Then I can focus on his arm.”

“His arm?” Magnus asked, and then he looked at his right side. His bone was clearly broken and in an incorrect position. His heart just kept breaking more and more watching the man he loved more than anything else continue to be in such pain.

“Don’t focus on that right now, Magnus. His arm is an easy fix. We need to take care of this arrow.” Cat reassured him.

Magnus mentally snapped himself out of it, and nodded. “Okay.”

Maryse rushed over to Alec’s other side and helped Magnus sit him upright. Alec surprisingly didn’t groan in pain this time, and Cat told Magnus that she gave him a sedative to keep him under and out of pain. It allowed him to relax a little more, knowing he wasn’t in pain. 

Cat gripped the arrow and moved it a little in circular motions, possibly trying to find the best position to pull it out. Once she found a position she liked, she stopped moving it, and held it in place.

“Okay, are you ready?” She asked. The two nodded, worry still clearly painted across their faces. “I need to be fast, so you need to keep him still for me, I’ll tell you when you can lay him back down. One. Two. Three!”

She yanked the arrow out of his chest and immediately set it aside. She lether magic take over. Blue sparks emitted from her finger tips, dancing around them like aqua flames. Magnus watched as the hole in his chest slowly mended itself and closed up. 

It took roughly five minutes for the wound to fully close, and as soon as the magic stopped, relief suddenly washed over everyone in the room.

“Okay, the chest wound is healed, now it’s just the arm. Do you want to move him to the spare room to fix that? Then when he wakes up he’ll be on a comfy surface and probably won’t wake with a sore neck. I’ll go and grab a couple other things and be through as soon as I have them. “

“I’ll help you.” Maryse said as she followed her into her office.

Magnus nodded, and once again picked Alec up with what little energy he had left. He walked over to the spare bedroom and gently laid him down on the sheets, being as careful as possible not to disturb his still-broken arm.

As soon as he was in a comfortable postition, or at least he looked like he was in one from Magnus’ perspective, he took a second to brush a couple of strands away from his face. He felt much more relaxed now as there was a little more colour in his face, his breathing had evened out also. He wasn’t out of the woods yet, he knew that, but he felt so much more confident knowing that his condition had improved thanks to Catarina.

At the same time though, there was a strong sense of disappointment. He felt powerless, useless that he couldn’t have done more. All he could do was scoop him into his arms and run around chaotically, trying to find help. God, had he not found Maryse and Luke in time, he doesn’t know what would have happened. He had no magic, no phone, nothing. If only he had a tiny amount of energy left to heal him himself. He let out a soft sigh. This was something he had to get used to. Not being able to save his boyfriend when it matters most. 

He grabbed the chair from the nearby desk in the room and positioned it so that he was sat beside him. He took Alec’s hand and waited for Cat can Maryse to return, which didn’t take long at all. She walked in with a board, presumably to keep Alec’s arm straight whilst she fixed it. Cat placed the board under his arm carefully, and started gently feeling it, to see just how bad of a condition it was in.

She grimaced slightly and looked up at Magnus. “I’m gonna have to reset it before I fix it so that it heals in the right place.”

Magnus put his head in his hands for a short moment. If only he had the power to destroy Lilith completely for the pain she’s put Alec through. He knows that he can’t feel the pain right now, but that doesn’t mean Magnus can’t see the damage. 

“Magnus?” Maryse spoke after a short silence. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and Magnus reached up and rested his hand on top. 

“Sorry, do what you have to do Cat, I didn’t mean to-“

“It’s okay, I get it. It’s hard to see him like this. If you want, you can stand outside whilst I do it so you don’t have to watch?” Cat replied understandingly.

Maryse took her up on that offer, claiming that the arrow part was hard enough to watch as his mother. She tried to convince Magnus to join her so that he could have a breather, but he politely declined, not wanting to leave his side for a minute. The last time he left his side, he returned to an almost dead Nephilim on the ground.

She gave him a sad smile and leaned down to kiss the top of his head, before walking over to Alec and doing the same to his forehead. She left the room and Cat placed her hands in the position to realign his bone. She looked at Magnus.

“You ready?” She asked. Magnus took a deep breath and retook hold of Alec’s other hand, squeezing lightly. He closed his eyes and nodded. “Okay one, two, three.”

All Magnus could hear was a crunching sound, causing him to scrunch his eyes further closed and bury his face into their clasped hands.

“All done.” She said, causing him to finally open his eyes.

Cat was already healing his bone when he opened them. His arm looked better already, now that it wasn’t in a good weird shape. He used his thumbs to lightly caress the Shadowhunter’s hand, whilst she continued to work, and it wasn’t until he watched the blue sparks die down in his peripheral vision that he let out the largest sigh of relief he thinks he had ever let out. He hadn’t felt this much weight be lifted from his shoulders since he last almost lost him a few months prior. 

That was another time that he felt powerless, since the only person that could bring him out of that coma turned out to be Jace. It was slightly more reassuring when Alec told him that he did feel his presence and that it did make an impact. Now of course since then, there were events where Alec had been injured and Magnus had healed him, but not an injury to this extent. If only he had his magic.

Cat mumbled something that Magnus couldn’t quite make out because he was too busy focusing on his sleeping boyfriend, but he did catch her standing up and walking towards the door.

“Catarina,” she stopped and looked back at him. He glanced at her and gave her the first genuine smile he had given since he left for Edom. “Thank you.”

She returned the smile. “Of course. He may take a while to wake up, so make sure you get some rest too. You’ve both been through hell tonight.”

“You’re sure he’s going to be okay?”

Cat nodded. “His vitals are getting stronger by the second. He may get a scar on his chest from the injury, but that’s about it. Why don’t you come outside and clear your head a bit!?”

Magnus took a deep breath and nodded in agreement. He stood up and pressed a gentle kiss to Alec’s forehead, before following Catarina out of the room.

He saw Maryse on the sofa, she looked exhausted both physically and emotionally, which was to be expected since it had been a long day, and she had almost lost her son. He felt the exact same way, like he’d been through hell and back... which now he thought of it, he had done. Both literally with Edom, and figuratively with Alec. He wished that he could just erase this day from his memory.

He sighed and sat down next to her, placing a hand on her back. She looked at him with a tired smile and rested her head on his shoulder. 

“He’s gonna be fine.” He said softly. 

He knew that as much as he needed rest, Maryse was Alec’s mother and that she needed to have her mind put at ease just as much as him. She physically relaxed at his words and let out a strong exhale. Magnus knew that Cat had most likely already told her that he’d be okay, but he also knew that she probably wasn’t able to fully believe it unless she saw Magnus believe it too. And he did. He had full faith in his best friend. She had saved him so many times in his long life, so if she said that he would be fine, he knew that she meant it.

“By the angel, Magnus, if you hadn’t been there in time-“

“Let’s not think about that, Maryse. What’s important is that I did get there in time, and that thanks to Catarina, Alexander will wake up tomorrow, completely fine and  _alive_ .” 

She smiled in relief. “As much as I let my prejudices get the better of me when we first met, I can’t help but say that you are the best thing to happen to my boy. I’ve never seen him as happy as he is when he’s with you. I’m honoured to have you as my _son_.”

Magnus froze for a second, his breath hitched and his heart skipped a beat. “None of my in-laws have ever called me that before.” He spoke, the astonishment was evident in his voice. 

“Anybody who brings that much joy to my children’s lives, is a part of my family.” She looked up at him. “Nephilim or Downworlder.”

The development that this woman had gone through in the space of a few months was extraordinary. She had previously been so blind sighted by the Clave, but when she started educating herself and interacting with the Downworld more and more, she finally saw them as equals, and stopped viewing them as nothing more than demons. It was beautiful to watch her grow into the accepting and loving mother that she was today.

Magnus smiled at her and pulled her in for a hug.

“So where’s Lucian? Everything was a blur earlier but I’m certain that he was with you in the alleyway.” He asked, before releasing her from his embrace.

“He stayed behind to make sure the others were safe. That explosion happened exactly where Lilith was meant to be hiding out. God, I hope they’re all okay. He said he’d call me the second that he has an update for me.”

“And nothing yet?”

She shook her head. “Now are we not going to address the elephant in the room?”

Magnus raised an eyebrow. “What elephant are we referring to?”

“Magnus you told me that you no longer had magic.”

Magnus looked down and sighed. He didn’t reply, so Maryse continued.

“Tell me what happened.”

“I...” He cleared his throat. “In order to get enough power to defeat the owl that possessed Jace, I had to go to Edom, to speak with my father.”

“Asmodeus.” Maryse was aware of Magnus’ father. It wasn’t exactly a secret that he was the son of a greater demon, it was actually one of the reasons she had so much prejudice against him.

Magnus nodded. “I needed to harness his power to destroy the demon, but as expected with any greater demon, it came at a cost.”

“Your magic.” Maryse’s eyes widened slightly. “Oh you fool Magnus, why would you take that offer?”

“Because it was the only way to bring Jace back.” Magnus said quickly. “Because.... if I didn’t, Alexander was prepared to fullfill Jace’s wish, and kill him. I couldn’t let him live with that on his conscience.”

Maryse sighed softly. “You gave up your magic not only to save Jace, but to save Alec too?”

“I’ve seen him when he feels overridden with guilt.” Magnus closed his eyes at the sheer memory of Max’s party. “I didn’t want to watch that happen again.”

“You’re truly are selfless man, Magnus.” She whispered. She took his hand and gently caressed it. He hadn’t felt this in centuries. A mother’s affection. It was a warm feeling, a welcome feeling. 

“Magnus?” A small voice called from the doorway. He looked up to see a familiar warlock child in pyjamas, smiling at him. 

“Hey sweet pea.” He grinned, as she ran to him and jumped into his lap. She gave him a big hug, and honestly, he really needed it.

He hadn’t seen Madzie since the party at Lorenzo’s a few weeks back. “I’ve missed you.” 

“Aww I’ve missed you too, my dear. I’ve just been so busy, that I’ve not had a chance to come see you.” Magnus replied. 

“Where’s Alec?” She asked after a moment.

“He’s in bed, he’s had a very long day and got a little hurt, so Catarina came to the rescue.” He decided to answer honestly, especially since he was fine and there was nothing to worry about anymore.

“She saved him like he did with me?” She asked, a little distracted by the buttons on Magnus’ coat, as she fiddled with them.

“Exactly like that.” He smiled, running his fingers through her hair comfortingly. “I promise, once he’s all better, you can come and sleepover at my apartment. We’ll watch movies and play games. Sound good?”

She nodded with a small giggle. “Alright sweet pea, why don’t you go and get back to bed. A princess needs her beauty sleep.”

Madzie gave him another hug, and hopped off his knee, running back towards the doorway. She turned around and asked “Will you give Alec a cuddle from me too? To make him feel better?”

Magnus chuckled and nodded. “Of course, Madzie.”

She grinned again and this time, ran off out of view. 

“Sweet girl.” Maryse said.

“Alec saved her from a less-than-ideal situation a while back. She’s been in the care of Catarina ever since. I suppose she could be called her adoptive mother, and given our long friendship, myself and Alec are like her uncles.

“Well Alec has always been amazing around children, so it’s no surprise that he saved her.” She smiled.

They sat like that for a moment, before Maryse’s phone rang. She jumped up and answered immediately.

“Luke? Is everything okay?”

They spoke on the phone only briefly, before she turned to Magnus. “Do you think your friend has enough energy to create one more portal so they can all come here?”

Cat walked into the room at the perfect time, and smiled. “Of course.” She answered for him. She waved her hand and a portal was made. Almost immediately, Luke, Izzy, Simon and Jace jumped through the portal.

Maryse rushed to her children and hugged them tightly. “I was so worried.”

It was only after they stopped hugging that the penny dropped. Magnus stood up slowly and looked at them. Jace was clearly in shock, with watery eyes. Simon’s cheeks were tear-stained. Izzy looked defeated and as for Luke, he hadn’t seen him look like this since Jocelyn.

“Where’s Clary?” He asked slowly, his heart beginning to thud.

“She’s...” Izzy could barely bring herself to say the words. Her voice was shaky and the tone was full of grief. “She didn’t make it.” 

A single tear fell down her face, and Jace took her hand, pulling her into his embrace.

“Luke? Is this true?” Maryse asked, in utter shock.

He was quiet for a moment, before nodding. “We lost her in the explosion.”

“I killed her.” Simon blurted out, almost like he was correcting Luke.

“No- no you didn’t-“ Izzy tried to say.

“I did. It was all my fault.” He continued. “Lilith came after me and this.... mark went off. She was in the blast radius.” More tears fell down his face. Maryse went to put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him, but he moved out of her reach and sat down on the nearest chair.

“Lilith did this.” Luke said, pulling himself together. “She is the reason for all the deaths, she is the reason for the owl, she is the reason for... Clary.”

Magnus was silently crying himself. This was in a way, his god-daughter who had been lost. He had watched her grow up, even if she didn’t fully remember it herself. It was a gunshot wound to the chest knowing she hadn’t made it.

There was a moment of silence where they all tried to process what had happened. Maryse was the first one to start talking. “We have to stay strong in this moment, to respect her memory. She’s been through a ‘lot in the past year, and she still stayed strong and was a true fighter. We can honour that by keeping strong ourselves.”

“Well said, Maryse.” Magnus replied, his voice barely above a whisper from still being in shock.

“I think I need to be alone for a while, I’m gonna get going and clear my head.” Luke said after a few seconds. 

They nodded, and Simon spoke up. “Mind if I tag along? I’d like to head home to.” Luke nodded, and the two of them walked out after saying their goodbyes.

“Magnus, why don’t you go and be with Alec? I’m sure he’d like to wake up with you near him. Especially since he is in an unfamiliar setting. I’ll stay here with Izzy and Jace.” Maryse suggested. 

Magnus looked at Alec’s siblings, and they were clearly torn apart by the news of Clary. Izzy had become close friends with her and saw her as a sister, and as for Jace, he was madly in love with her, despite their complicated past. It was almost unbelievable to think that less than an hour ago, Magnus was inches away from being in the exact same boat as him. They weren’t okay, but they had their mother there, so he was confident that they were in good hands. With that, he walked back into the room where Alec was resting.

He sat back down in the same chair that he was before, and once again, took hold of Alec’s hand. He was breathing steadily, and he looked completely out of pain. It was almost like the earlier events hadn’t even happened. He felt so lucky to have had Catarina to rely on.

He kept hold of his hand and leaned over until he was using the mattress as a pillow. It had been a horrible day, and he needed time to process it, but right now, he needed to be at his strongest for Alec, as he was yet to know about Clary. Alec and Clary may not have been as close as the other lightwood children were with her, but he still cared about her. And if there’s one thing he knew about his lover, it was that he would always try and find a way to blame it on himself. 

He closed his eyes, and tried his hardest to sleep.

***

When he woke up the next morning, Alec was still asleep, but it didn’t take long for him to stir. Magnus was quick move closer to him, so that when he opened his eyes, he would be the first thing he saw.

It took a minute for him to blink his eyes open. It took a few of them before he could clearly see what he was looking at. He smiled and reached up to cup Magnus’ cheek. 

“There you are.” He croaked out, his voice groggy from having just woken up.

Magnus huffed out a small laugh and placed his hand on top of the one that Alec had placed on his cheek. “And there you are, my Alexander.”

They gazed into each other’s eyes for a moment before Alec tried to sit himself up. Magnus quickly placed his hands on his back and shoulder to support him.

“How do you feel?” Magnus asked after he was comfortable.

“I feel okay, just a little dazed.”

“That’ll be the anaesthetic that Cat put you under. It will wear off eventually, darling.” Magnus answered softly.

“What happened? I mean, I remember getting impaled by the arrow and you saving Jace, but everything else got a bit blurred after that.”

“Well, Jace ran off to find the others, and I carried you until I found your mother and Luke, they called Catarina and she portaled you over here so she could save you.”

“Your... your magic, Mags.”

“Don’t worry about that, I’m fine. What’s important is that you don’t stress too much, you’ve been through a ‘lot.”

“ _I’ve_ been through a ‘lot!? Magnus you went to edom and back, got stripped of your magic and then came back to find me almost dead on the ground.” Alec spoke. “I should be taking care of  _you_ .”

Magnus shook his head. “I’m okay because you’re okay, my love. We can talk about my magic when you’re back home, and strong enough to do so.”

It took a moment for Alec to relax and nod. “Okay, just promise me you will be honest with me about it, don’t tell me you’re okay if you’re not. I know you’re a nightmare for doing that.”

Magnus laughed softly. “I promise, now later.”

“Later.” Alec agreed. “How are the others?”

“Your mother is fine, as are Izzy and Jace.” Magnus answered.

“Did they get to Clary?”

Magnus went quiet, and bowed his head. 

“Magnus?” Alec continued.

“She didn’t make it Alexander.” He muttered quietly.

“What?”

“It was a freak accident, and the entire hideout blew up. We lost her in the blast.”

Alec put his face in his hands and shook his head. “Son of a bitch.”

“It was no ones fault but Lilith. She caused all of our distress. But she’s gone now, she was successfully banished. She can continue her evil reign in hell.” 

Magnus wanted to be as quick as possible in explaining that, as if he didn’t, Alec would have found a way to turn this back on himself and make out that he was guilty. Alec didn’t need that now, so he needed to erase that possibility as soon as possible.

“How are you doing? I know you cared a ‘lot about her.” Alec asked after a second, his voice filled with sadness.

“I’m... coping. Right now my focus is you, I can deal with my grief over her once you’re up and about again.” 

Alec reached over and took Magnus’ hand. “Magnus. I’m sorry.” He brought his hand up to his lips and softly kissed it.

Magnus smiled, and lightly squeezed Alec’s hand. “I think when you’re better, we can do a small memorial for her. Even if it’s just the two of us. We can pay our respects to her and remember the good times we had with her.”

“I think that sounds wonderful.” Alec agreed.

It had been a terrible day, one of the worst days he’d had in a long time. Magnus had lost a dear friend, someone who was considered family, she wasn’t the first that he had lost, and she won’t be the last, but for the minute, he still had the love of his life by his side. He had his total and complete support throughout this ordeal. Through the loss of Clary, the loss of his magic, the loss of his job. The next few days we’re going to be terribly hard, but Alec was there, and they were going to get through it _together_. Just as they had always done.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope that the angst doesn’t make you hate me too much! I had quite a ‘lot of fun writing this and I hope that you guys enjoyed reading it!
> 
> Feel free to comment your thoughts on this one-shot!
> 
> Twitter @taesmalec


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